“The last time in history that someone wrote a text like that was in 1939 in the Nazi time”

Pinchas Vishedski, chief rabbi

Sam Pivnik, 86, was only 14 years old when his family was rounded up like cattle from Bedzin, Poland, and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

His parents and sister were selected "with a flick of the glove" to be put to death by notorious "Angel of Death" Dr Josef Mengele and the teenager was left to fend for himself.

Mr Pivnik, who still bears the concentration camp stamp tattooed on his forearm, said: "Jews have no place in the Ukraine because nothing has changed. And nothing will change.

"They had no business staying in that country after the atrocities of 1939-1945.

"Even Germany is doing everything it can to tackle anti-semitism and is better than Ukraine.

"Jews in the Ukraine should leave."

TENSE: Military tensions have increased over the past week among pro-Russians and nationalists [REUTERS]

His warning came after a leaflet was posted on the wall of the of the Beyt Menahem Mendal Synagogue and handed to about 200 Jewish worshippers as they left the building on the second night of passover last week.

The leaflet ordered all "citizens of Jewish nationality" to "register" because Jewish leaders had supported the "nationalists and bands" in Kiev.

Those handed the leaflets were told to provide ID and passports as well as documents detailing rights to all property and vehicles they own.

The Chief Rabbi of Donetsk, Pinchas Vishedski, called on all political leaders in the Ukraine to make a “very clear statement” condemning the notes.

"The last time in history that someone wrote a text like that was in 1939 in the Nazi time," he said.

The rabbi spoke with a quiet fury as he held aloft one of the leaflets which stated that any Jewish person failing to comply with the orders would be expelled from the "borders of the Republic".

The leaflet bears the crest of the pro-Russian "Donetsk People's Republic", whose leaders have taken over official buildings in nine towns and cities across the region since the February Revolution in Kiev.

Denis Pushilin, leader of the "People's Republic", denied his organisation had any involvement and said: "I am personally strongly against any declarations of this sort made against Jewish or any other people.

"This is a dirty trick by our foes. It is a forgery."

Rabbi Vishedski said: "But for us, it doesn't matter who made it. For us, the terrible fact is that someone made it."

He called on all political leaders to condemn it and said he hoped the security forces would launch a serious investigation into the culprits.

The US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, called the document "chilling" while American Secretary of State John Kerry described it as "grotesque" and "beyond unacceptable".

Between 1941 and 1945 approximately 900,000 Ukrainians were murdered during the Holocaust.

Today Donetsk has a Jewish population of around 16,000 which, according to rabbi Vishedski, plays a full part in city life.

“Our feeling now is like the feeling of all the people of Donetsk. We are a piece of Donetsk. We are all together – and all of us pray to God that there shall be peace.”

Russian media today reported that five people were killed in a gun attack in a check-point manned by pro-Russian activists near the Ukrainian town of Sloviansk.